Municipality accuses AEK fans of attacking journalist
The Municipality of Nea Philadelphia-Nea Halkidona in northern Athens claimed on Wednesday that a group of soccer fans attacked a journalist at an Epiphany celebration on Tuesday as part of an ongoing row between the local authority and a group purporting to be AEK supporters.
The municipality said the journalist was hospitalized after the attack that took place during a ceremony in Nea Philadelphia park, which is at the center of the dispute.
The municipality is resisting AEK’s efforts to build a new stadium that would lead to some of the park being lost.
The club denies being associated with the fans who attacked the journalist and disrupted two recent municipal councils, which led to some officials being injured.
“We have notified authorities and we trust the justice system,” the local authority said in a statement.